Gudging at the pump
What is this when we have plenty of oil and still gas prices are soaring? I recently received and email from a friend from a different county, who keeps a tab on American news for me, and he said that the middle east just sent us millions of cash and oil to help with Katrina relief! Were is it? Not here in the states. This pisses me off. I am not sure whether it is the government or the robber barrons, or both, sticking it to us but we have become a lazy nation America! We ignor what is going on and get screw in the process. I too would love a country where I could trust everything is alright and never have to worry about what our government is doing. But we are overlooking key player in the government that have been screwing us for years. We sit and complain we don't like the way things are handled but won't put people in that can handle the job. In the 50's we were worried about communist, well wake up they are in office now! Personal freedoms are down and government control is up. But that is a rant for another day. Back to the pumps.
I thought it was bad when gas prices were
$1.899/gallon now seeing hit
$2.999/gallon for the lowest octane! I am sorry I said anything. Right now we are not in a shortage people, but all our jobs are at stake. The way most cities and our lives are set up we commute to work. Whether it be a 15 minute drive or 2 hour drive. Either way out wages are not hiugh enough to cover the cost of going to work. I am proud that so many have written out president asking for him to look into this. If America can't go to work then America stops running. So letter-writers
KEEP WRITING! Until we see that the prices go down then we have to do something. Start a car pooling effort. The physically fit need to start walking, riding a bike, take a bus, or buy a low fuel expending form of transportation. Heck, I am ready to break out my rollerskates and go to work. We need to send a message to the big companies that they cannot do this to us. They need us as much as we need them. Stop letting them bully us or we will be their slaves.
To those who wish to comment
I don't care if you comment to something I write. In fact, I encourage it greatly. However, do not start writing articles for me. If you want to post your view do it on your site, and not on my comments.
Secrets
Secrets...secrets are big business. Secrets are part our government. Secrets are our lives. But why? Why do people insist on an obserd amount of privacy? Why does out governments want to know all our secrets and we don't get to know any of theirs? For that matter why do the people I live with insist on reading over my shoulder all the time, but want total privacy when they are on? They say that is not the case, but then why are they always bitchin'? I wish I understood more. Then again I might get real pissed if I did. Fuck I don't know anything right now. So I should stop typing, now if I only had the ability to...
Hello
Well here we go. The world as I see it. Now first off. I speak in my own opinions. If you disagree, you may say so but I really do not care. Everyone walks through this life with their own ideas of how it is. I am no different. I have my way of thinking as you do. If they agree, gumdrops, and if not so what. The point of life is to fall into this perfect little mold, but to find your way through the troubled sea. So if you wish to comment, ok, but do not try to change my mind, and I will not try to change yours. Sounds rather fair to me.
The past articles were written on my page
Running Barefoot in the Dark. Enjoy and hope you like the new ones to come. This page is only my written work. Running Barefoot is my diary, and the others to the side are self explanitory.
Monogomy...Not Just a Wood Anymore
Monogomy is almost a dirty word these days. Of course the idea of what it means has changed also. There used to be a time when it meant one person for the rest of your life. Of course when the rest of you life was like 30, then I guess it was easier. These days monogomy means sex only with the person you are currently with (and will break up with them so you may have sex with someone else only to get back with the first person and stay without falut). You know I would love to be with someone that was only with me, but I also understand how men are. You cannot ask a man to be with only you (b/c many then will want to try someone because you brought it up). Squirrels stay with one mate all their lives, if that mate dies then they never mate again. I have never met a man that was like a squirrel. I take that back...I never a met a man born in the last 50 years that was like a squirrel. Blame it on a lack of morals, blame it on "human nature," but it is disconserting to think about that from the time you are little that our parents pushed on us that you are only to be with one person when even they haven't. Now I am not saying that one of you parents cheated but think of this, if every one was with the first person they had sex with you parents might not be your parents. One mate for life. That in itself is scarey concept. Not unwelcomed, but when lifespan is now near 100 years it makes you think. You really want to try to find someone that you have true compatablity with. Personally I have always wanted to marry my best-friend. Lovely notion. Yet I have failed to meet a guy that can think of a chick as a friend after sex. Even Stone sees me a little different. He is my best-friend and yet he keeps a certain distance that wasn't there before. I don't see where there is a problem. I want friendship first in all things. I want to marry the one guy that accepts me for exactly who and what I am. That loves me being me. Someone that understands that I cannot be changed into what they want me to be. Someone that won't try to mold me into their idea of perfection. That is why I love him. He's exactly what I want. Will I ever have him? Maybe not. But it gives hope. Hope that if I can find someone like him, then there is someone that can love me for me. Treat me with kindness and compassion even when he is acting strong and hard. Someone who's eyes give them away. Someone that even when he is angry with me would never want or willing let harm come to me. I have found this in one person. So there is hope that if this kind of person exsist that there will be a person that will love me back. Patience is the key. It took 25 years to find Stone, and if it took even 25 more to have the love I want then I would have at least 50 years to love to that someone back.
Ok confession time. I have a bad habit of not saying what I want. So I will say it here once. And if you are reading this my friend, I am talking to you. I know this will undoubtably scare him and may lose something I cherish. But "A life lived in fear is a life half lived." So here we go. You know I love you, I have never hid that fact. I have told you but you ignor it. You said you are scared of hurting me that is why we are not together. I want to take that chance. I have lived watching you go from girl to girl and only being honest to me. You have shared your hopes and dreams with me. Our common interests and secret conversations. I agreed to our agreement not because I didn't want to only be with you. I agreed to it because I knew you were not ready for me. In many ways you are still not. I understand that when you finally settle down you will settle down. So I give your freedom to find out what you are searching for. From the first time we touched I knew I loved you. That terrified me. What terrified me more is when I say something in your eyes that one time at Gabey's. I saw for a breif second your heart. I saw that you really cared too. I have been afraid to say that really love you. I have been scared to let you into my heart. I don't want to be hurt again. Neither do you. By now you should have figured out that I have gave you whatever you want not because I don't care but because I do. We promised to always be in each others lives. Do you know why I agreed and wanted such a promise? Because you are truely special. I knew then without knowing that I needed you in my life. You ground me when I dream to loafty. I dream when are scared to. I saw then that we were two sides of the same coin, and the more I got to know you the more it was true. The more you told me what you wanted in a woman, the more I saw in me. I did not have to become what you wanted like the others, I already was that. I know I frighten you, but now I know why. You think the only way a relationship can work is if it is totally one of convience. Now while I agree that that is true, I also say you can love each other. Not with that crazy can't-live-without-you-so-I-will-kill-myself-and/or- you kind of love, the kind that you want to die when it is over. I mean the kind of love that is gentle and kind, compassionate, sweet, true, accepting, willing to give you up if it makes you happy, work to better ourself and our family kind of love. I want someone that supports my dreams and I support his. I want to help you, and you help me. And work as a partner for what we want in life. We have talked about that. So now I am tell you. Like I should have a long time ago. I know this may mean that you will run away from me. But if I didn't tell you then I never will. I am scared too. Mainly of losing my friend. Yet I am willing to find out, if you are. I am tired of dead-end relationships. And men that want me to be their dream, instead the person I am. Do I want monogomy? Yes! Do I expect it? No. Do I accept that? I have. As it has been now for 2 years, now it is your turn. Do you accept me? Are you willing to take a chance? It's up to you now. Just remember "Nothing Ventured is Nothing Gained." If it doesn't work then we always have our friendship to fall back on. I am not asking you to love me or marry me. I am asking for a chance to try something new and unexpected. We have never had a dull moment together, so let's try. Waiting patiently still.
Forever yours,
V @->
Back to the story now. I have found men to be more like, now don't think I am sterotyping, stray dogs. They will go here and there. Screw whoever will them. Will be loyal, at least for a short time, to whoever feeds them. That doesn't mean that for the right chick that they won't turn around and be a loyal pup. But the bitch that usually brings that out in him is one that treats him horribly until she breaks their heart. Which turns them into the strays that women hate. But it seems to be the way. Really good and nice people end up with nasty fucks that ruin them for when they meet someone nice. Ladies, why do we pass up the nice guy for the asshole? Because we are scared that that nice will become an asshole, so we don't try. Or they are the only guys that will pay attention to us. Guys why is it that that sweet girl that will come over and feed you chicken soup when you are sick is the first one will pass up for a stuck up bitch that wants all your money and cheats on you when convient? Because you are scared that the nice girl will want more than you can give. Now listen up, a really "NICE" person will ask for more than you can give. They do not expect it. That is a scarey concept but true. Every nice person I have ever met has treated their bitch/asshole like that. We truely have high expections for the ones we love but never berate if they fall or fail.
So what am I saying? Monogomy is not a wood. It has as much value as you give it. What I do and like others to do with me is be honest. If you truthfully want a monogomous relationship tell me straight out. You will get it. If it is not what you want, then tell me. But also don't expect it of me either. Don't change the rules. Now later down the line you want to change, then you can be in a pickle. The trick is the honesty. I can always be faithful to a man that wants monogomy. If that is not the original deal, then he will have to talk to me about it. It is truly a mind-set. Truthfully I could still be in a few relationships if they had been up-front about not wanting to see just me. Of course that is just my opinion.
Good luck in your relationships!!
Homosexuality and Marriage
I have been talking to many people around the world, and have had to comment on this so many times that I am going to write about it here... That way I can just refer people to it instead.
Recently I received an e-mail from a friend, for about 8 years, in Australia. He was ranting, as I love to hear him do, about American politics and about President George W. Bush's re-election. He feels one of the reasons he was re-elected was the push on banning gay marriages. Being admittedly bi-sexual, and once engaged to a woman, I feel that I must comment on this.
Marriage, as I have stated many times before, is a religious idea. Therefore, as many religions states that homosexuality is not acceptable, there can be no homosexual marriage. Many religions see "marriage" as a union where a couple comes as one to be closer not only to God, but to multiply. Homosexuals cannot by nature have children.
The problems that homosexuals have with "marriage" is not based on religious standards, but on the
legal aspect. The want the rights and privileges that we give heterosexuals. If this is what they want they are not asking for us to accept a religious concept or acceptance. They are for something that deals with legality.
The legality of "marriage" is the toughest pill to swallow for most people. The concept of what marriage is is usually defined by the persons married, according to what their morals dictate about it. What is acceptable and not acceptable applies in that case. Marriage according to a few websites that I visited is defined as follows:
Quick definitions (Marriage)
noun: the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony (Example: "Their marriage was conducted in the chapel")
noun: two people who are married to each other (Example: "His second marriage was happier than the first")
noun: the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce) (Example: "A long and happy marriage")
noun: a close and intimate union (Example: "The marriage of music and dance")Encyclopedia articleMarriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures, but it has been an important concept as a socially sanctioned bond between people who (usually) are not close blood relations.Check out this site for a well written encyclopedia marriage definition(exert from MSN Encanta)
noun
1. legal relationship between spouses: a legally recognized relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony, between two people who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners
2. particular marriage relationship: a married relationship between two particular people, or an individuals relationship with an individual spouse
3. joining in wedlock: the joining together in wedlock of two people
4. marriage ceremony: the ceremony in which two people are joined together formally in wedlock
5. union of two things: a close union, blend, or mixture of two things Civilization is based on the marriage of tradition and innovation.Legaly though the following definitions apply:
marriagenoun the joining of a male and female in matrimony by a person qualified by law to perform the ceremony (a minister, priest, judge, justice of the peace or some similar official), after having obtained a valid marriage license (which requires a blood test for venereal disease in about a third of the states and a waiting period from one to five days in several). The standard age for marriage without parental consent is 18 except for Georgia and Wyoming where it is 16, Rhode Island where women can marry at 16, and Mississippi in which it is 17 for boys and 15 for girls. More than half the states allow marriages at lesser ages with parental consent, going as low as 14 for both sexes in Alabama, Texas and Utah. Marriages in which the age requirements are not met can be annulled. Fourteen states recognize so-called "common law marriages" which establish a legal marriage for people who have lived together by agreement as husband and wife for a lengthy period of time without legal formalities.common-law marriagenoun an agreement between a man and woman to live together as husband and wife without any legal formalities, followed and/or preceded by cohabitation on a regular basis (usually for seven years). Common-law marriage is legal in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, thereby recognizing a marriage for purposes of giving the other party the rights of a spouse, including inheritance or employee benefits. Such informal partnerships are recognized by some local governments for purposes of the rights of a spouse under employment contracts and pension rights even where the state does not recognize this as a marriage.See also: cohabitationlegal marriage has nothing to do truthfully with what morals and religion. As stated in the common-law marriage above, it is an informal partnership. This what the homosexuals are asking for. The rights of inheritance, benefits (as in life & health insurance), property issues, and such. What they are asking for is NOT religious. In fact the way that marriage is treated these days, I do not believe that we should call "legal marriage" marriage at all. Why not just call it an "informal partnership agreement?"
Marriage is one of the most beautiful and holy unions that you may ever enter into. I stress the word
HOLY! It is a bond handed down through generations, called by different names, with the same purpose. It is an outward reflection of an inner desire to be closer to and one with whom you call God. If this is not so, the why is it tradition to go to a holy man (priest, pastor, shaman, rabbi, high priest/priestess, etc) to perform it? It is a mockery to marry homosexuals, because in all the religions I have ever heard of marriage is between males & female (and homosexuality is not allowed).
If you, a homosexual, want a legal informal partnership then by all means have it, but don't call it marriage. Marriage is not a legal institution, but rather religious one. As I very well know, many homosexuals come from a religious family background. They dream like hetros about beautiful ceremonies where they are with the person the love more than life. However when you shun what your religion states about sexuality, then you must give up those dreams. You can have partnership under law, but it is not marriage. Marriage according to the bible has a main purpose of reproduction. Like it or not that is the truth. Your ideas will have to change about trying to change a very very old religious custom. If you want a battle you can fight, then fight for the "Legal Informal Partnership" (LIP). Leave marriage alone.
Even as my own friend, a 22 year old gay male, who had a beautiful dream of getting married at his families pre-civil war farm, has stated to me...he will never marry. Not because he won't be in love with the guy, but it goes against his Baptist beliefs. It would hurt his family, whom he loves dearly. He may find the love of is life in some man and spend the rest of his life with him, but he will not go against his religious beliefs in what marriage is. For him the legal idea of marriage is not what marriage means to him.
So finally I state, homosexuals should NEVER be allowed to "marry." It is a slap in the face to a strict long-held religious belief. In truth many homosexuals I have talked to do not want anything to do with the religious part of marriage, so why call it such? If you want the right and resposiblities of the informal partnership then have at it. Leave "marriage" to us religious freaks that hold it in a reverence that you ignore. However do not think that I mean that straights are much better when it comes to marriage, if this was the case then 1/2 marriages would not end in divorce. The legal form of "marriage" needs a major overhaul. Maybe it should be harder to get married, or harder to get divorced, take your pick. But as a legal issue on who may "marry" is has nothing do with religious ideas. However if we allowed anyone gay or straight to "marry," then we should not call it by it's religious name, and title it want it is...legal partnership. Don't try to bring God into something that has nothing to do with Him.
Boys Will Be Boys Vs Ladies & Whores
Expressing sexually has changed dramatically over the last one hundred years. During the time I grew up there has always been a double standard about men and women. If I guy slept around it was widely accepted if not expected. If a girl did the same she was branded with ugly words like whore or slut, tramp or even more colorful words. So why is this? I talked with many men and women about it but found that when many men are talked to that they feel don't live in a double standard. I wonder though how many times they called a girl that had more experience than them a whore. It seems that today that once they leave school (whether it be high school or college) they lose the mentality about it. Or was it just lies to please the woman that they were talking to? Will I am going to give these guys a benefit of the doubt and say that it is great that they have such an open mind.
When asked about if he felt that women's sexuality is expressed more equally than 50 years ago, Ash 21 from Texas said, "Not really, now they are insulted them...back then were only not allowed to wear certain clothes. I think they were treated more fairly back in the day! They just had more limited freedoms and all."
Mike 18 from New York when asked if he would seriously date or marry a woman that had more partners than he had stated, " No, because if I was going to marry someone their partners (may have been) better than me."
Yan 25 from Michigan only has one way of thinking of women. Simply put, "All woman are bitches and whores." "Good only to fuck then lose when I am bored." Of course he isn't a man-whore (or whoremonger) when he sleeps around himself. He "just has not other use for them."
Ash says, "I wouldn't think about (if she had more partners than him), but I'd be a little worried of we 'did it' and about my 'performance'...but I think most men worry about that. Mostly if she want to be with me that's all I'd need...If she truly loved me that's all I need from her, nothing more nothing less."
Mike isn't sure why he feels there is a double standard. He isn't sure if friends & family or what influences the idea that it is ok for guys but not girls to have casual sex. He says it most definitely exsists.
As I traveled backwards in age I found there is huge double standard. Also that there is excussion of boys by the older generations as well. Girls are thought to be prefect little angels if they keep their virginity, and little sluts if they give it up for
any reason. Where does it all come from? It has been handed down to the generations. Fathers and mothers try pushing it from the start. Funny isn't then to find out that the average age in many states is getting younger and younger for girls. I have met many males & female that lost their virginty at 8 years old. I have never heard of an 8 year old slut. Yet we judge a persons whole personality by how many people they admit to sleeping with. I must say I have been a hypoctrite about that myself. When I was teenager I had the idea that no guy was good enough for me if he wasn't a virgin himself. I would dump a guy if they didn't meet my standard. I found that my thinking is flawed. It would be nice to be with someone that didn't sleep with the ENTIRE volleyball team, but if he was a good guy and wanted to settle down then the only thing I care about is if I am going to be helping raise someone elses kids, or if there is a possiblity of getting a disease. If any of you have ever read my thoughts about Stone, then you know that the fact he sleeps around has never bothered me. I would care what he did as long as he came home disease- and baby- free. I am totally not interested in raising his kids. Unless there were special curcumstances. Stone is a major man-whore, with opnions identical to Yan (from above).
I find that is it funny that guys feel this way. In a future article I wish to discuss what woman think about this issue.
